US suspends talks with Russia on Syria ceasefire

Washington: The United States said on Monday it was suspending talks with Russia on trying to end the violence in Syria and accused Moscow of not living up to its commitments under a ceasefire agreement.
"The United States is suspending its participation in bilateral channels with Russia that were established to sustain the cessation of hostilities," US State Department spokesman John Kirby said in a statement. "This is not a decision that was taken lightly."
Meanwhile, Syria's militant Jabhat Fateh Al Sham, formerly the Nusra Front, said on Monday that Egyptian cleric Abu Al Faraj Al Masri, a prominent member of the militant group, had been killed in a strike by the US-led coalition.
A statement posted to social media said Sheikh Abu Al Faraj Al Masri, whose real name is Shekih Ahmad Salamah Mabrouk, a member of the group's religious Shura council, had been killed in a strike in the rebel-held northwestern province of Idlib.
Militant sources had earlier said Al Masri was killed when an unidentified drone hit the vehicle in which he was travelling. A US defence official confirmed to Reuters a strike had targeted a prominent Al Qaeda member on Monday but said Washington was still assessing its result.